England coach Stuart Lancaster still looking to 2015 Rugby World Cup

England coach Stuart Lancaster is confident he is still taking the right path despite the 20-14 loss to Australia.

Last Updated: 19/11/12 12:17pm

Stuart Lancaster: will continue with youth policy

The hosts were hot favourites to see off an Australian side still reeling from their 33-6 hammering by France in Paris but the Wallabies outplayed and outsmarted England despite being without four of their major players.

Lancaster is sticking to his youth policy though and insists his plans to rebuild the England team for the 2015 Rugby World Cup have not been shaken.

"We are developing a squad. We have come very close to winning and we should be confident with the decisions we are making," said Lancaster, who continues to overlook veterans like Nick Easter.

"Bringing on Mako Vunipola and Joe Launchbury, two 21-year-olds, in the pack shows where we are and where we want to go."

England had their chances, with Thomas Waldrom just missing out on a try when dropping the ball over the line, while the decision not to kick penalties for goal backfired badly.

Lancaster said: "We want performances and execution that can win at the highest level and we didn't quite achieve that.

"We will look at those decisions and the different things we could have done.

"If we are going to back ourselves (to go for the line-out or take quick tap penalties) we have to take those opportunities."